Burma Superstar dishes out E. coli bacteria

A popular Burmese restaurant in the Inner Richmond has been linked with an E. coli outbreak that infected nine people, San Francisco Department of Public Health officials said on Friday.

Of the 14 E. coli cases reported earlier this month, nine ate at Burma Superstar on August 16 or 17.

No new cases have been reported since then though, Burma Superstar owner Desmond Tan has voluntarily closed the restaurant for the weekend.

In a statement posted in the restaurant window at 309 Clement Street, Tan said:

“We greatly apologize for the inconvenience this has caused and thank all of our customers for their continued support and patience. We are doing everything we can to ensure that an incident of this type never occurs again.”

E. coli, a bacteria that infects undercooked meat, raw milk, water and unpasteurized juices, can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. Most people get better within a week; however, some cases become fatal.

So far, at least one person connected to the outbreak has hospitalized for a condition that could lead kidney failure, a life-threatening complication caused by the E. coli bacteria.

This is the first incident of its kind in Burma Superstar’s 17-year existence. The popular restaurant, known for its tea leaf salad, also has locations in Oakland and Alameda.

Burma Superstar’s San Francisco location is scheduled to reopen again on Monday.

For those who can’t wait to satisfy their Burmese craving, SFBay recommends Mandalay Restaurant — San Francisco’s first Burmese restaurant — less than three blocks away on California Street and 6th Avenue.